Then and Now
by LorelaiSquared
Summary: My contribution to the CWS Season 2 Ficathon for the episode The Ins and Outs of Inns
1. Confliction

**Then and Now **

_**A/N:**__About three weeks ago, just after the holiday author's auction, I was asked to fill in at the last minute for the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda Ficathon. So I sat down to write a quick one shot. Instead I ended up with this 12000 + word epic. The story is complete so I will be posting a chapter a day for the next several days._

_This story is dedicated to my incredible beta __**Jewels12 **__who took the time to read through this massive tome in its entirety and offer her expert opinion and edits despite this busy season. Jewels, you make me a better writer. Oh, and my New Year's resolution this year is to master the comma. Think I can do it? _

_I'd like to thank __**Filo **__for her tips and feedback on the final chapter. I'd also like to thank those of you who gave me feedback on this story through IM's and writing sessions. _

_Now, without further ado, here is my take on __**The Ins and Outs of Inns.**_

**Confliction**

xxxxx

Luke gazed at Lorelai, mesmerized by the sparkle in her eyes. He took a step toward her and wrapped his arms around her back, tucking her snugly against his body. He leaned in, his warm breath dancing across the luminous skin of her cheek. Their eyes met as he caught her lips with his and tasted her mouth. He explored slowly at first, then as she wrapped her hands in his hair and pulled him closer, he kissed her with more urgency, his desire for her evident with every press of his lips, every flick of his tongue.

Lorelai swayed slightly, loosing her balance as she was swept up in the passion of his kisses. Luke tightened his grip on her and led her over to the porch swing. He grasped her hands and slowly lowered her delicate frame onto the swing before easing his own fragile body down next to her. He took her hand in his and traced gentle circles over them, smoothing the wrinkles. He smiled as he traced the ring on her left hand and he remembered the day, many, many years ago when he had first bought it for her.

Luke turned back toward his wife, amazed that after all these years she still looked at him with such love and adoration. Lorelai smiled at him, her face as vibrant as it had been on their wedding day 45 years earlier. He reached for her and she came to him, resting her head on his shoulder as he began to rock the swing gently. That sat like that for several moments before being interrupted by the high-pitched squeal of a 6 year old.

An impish waif with dark brown hair, bright blue eyes and the telltale sign of chocolate smeared across her face, came tearing around the corner and launched herself at Luke and Lorelai.

"LaiLai! Grumps!" she screamed as she climbed onto Lorelai's lap and flung her arms around her great grandmother. Lorelai smiled at the nicknames Rory's eldest child, Genny, had given them years ago.

"Melody!" Lorelai hugged her great granddaughter tightly, then passed her over to Luke. Melody promptly planted a huge, sloppy kiss on his cheek and settled into his lap.

"Tell me the story," she ordered sternly.

Lorelai laughed and Luke shook his head in disbelief. "But we just told it to you when you were here for dinner _last_ Friday," Luke grumbled.

"But I want to hear it again _this_ Friday, Grumps. It's better than Cinderella," Melody insisted.

"Wow, that's high praise coming from a six-year old," Lorelai teased. "Guess we better tell her."

Luke pretended to sigh, then gathered Melody in his arms and launched into the well-known family story. "I knew I was going to marry your LaiLai after a particularly memorable day in the diner…"

He looked at Lorelai, waiting for her to interject. She smiled at him and obliged. "What day in the diner? There were so many."

Luke chuckled. "The day we were discussing the logistics of opening your own inn."

"Oh, _that _day." Lorelai laughed.

"The diner was crowded, but I had Caesar take over so I could help Lorelai." Luke closed his eyes, remembering the scene vividly, as though it had happened yesterday.

****

They were sitting at one of the tables along the side of the diner that now bordered Taylor's Soda Shoppe. Piles of paper were spread over the table as Lorelai bent over a note pad, trying to take in all the things Luke was telling her.

"So, the first thing you and Sookie should do is incorporate." Luke told her, smiling encouragingly.

Lorelai looked up from her pad, "Wow. Sounds so big time."

"Not really. It just means you're a single business entity. You'll both be officers and shareholders, and you'll get to make up a name for your company and everything." Luke met her eyes, offering his silent support of the daunting task that lay ahead of her.

Lorelai's heart skipped a beat as she became aware of Luke's gaze. She tried to ignore it and smiled teasingly as she said, "Mmm, I'm terrible at coming up with names. When we first bought our house, Rory and I wanted to name it, you know, like Jefferson named his place Monticello, but all we could come up with was The Crap Shack." He was still gazing at her intently and she shifted uncomfortably. She looked back at her notepad for a second, hoping he couldn't see that she was blushing slightly. _That was weird_, she thought.

"Nice." Luke noticed the hint of red on her cheeks as she stared at the pad in front of her. He wondered what it meant. Had he embarrassed her? He wracked his brain, trying to figure out what he could have done.

Jess came over to offer Lorelai coffee. There was a brief, very stoic exchange between the three of them before Jess headed off to school, and their attention turned back to talk of the new inn.

Luke silently admired the way her silver necklace dipped toward her cleavage. He immediately looked up to her face again, berating himself for his inappropriate thoughts. He seemed to be having such thoughts quite frequently lately. "So, you guys have a site in mind for the inn?" he asked, trying to turn his mind to more neutral topics.

Lorelai smiled brightly. "Yes."

"Great, where?" Luke was relieved to be back to the easy banter. It took his mind off of how adorable she looked with her hair tucked behind her ears like that.

"You've seen pictures of it. The Rachel property." As soon as she said it, Lorelai winced, wishing she'd thought more carefully before speaking.

Luke froze mid-smile, as his stomach dropped to his knees. He hadn't thought of Rachel in months, and hearing her name now felt like a swift kick in the gut. "Oh, right."

"Sorry," Lorelai said quickly.

"It's okay," Luke muttered uncomfortably.

Noticing his discomfort, and mentally kicking herself for it, Lorelai quickly babbled, "I just meant, Rachel took the pictures, and the pictures kind of got us into the place, so we started calling it the Rachel property 'cause it made sense at the time, and then it became a habit." She shifted restlessly, realizing that she was making it worse. _Why do I keep saying her name?_ She tried to move on, "But now out of respect for you, I'm gonna stop repeatedly using her name and uh, think of another name to call it. Let's see, The Crap Shack's taken."

While she rambled on, Luke reflected on why he felt so uncomfortable with the mention of Rachel. It certainly wasn't because he was still in love with her. He'd been over Rachel long before she'd come back last year. _Somewhere around the time Lorelai first entered my life, _he realized. He had thought that Rachel had planted the seed for his current feelings for Lorelai when she'd left last year, but now he saw that she'd only watered a seed that had already been growing. _Oh God, I've been in love with her all this time. _Luke stifled a groan and tried to push the thought from his mind. He made himself focus on the conversation instead. "It's okay. Call it what you want."

Lorelai quickly changed the topic, noticing the forced quality of his tone. "So, who taught you about all this business stuff? Your dad?"

Happy for a distraction from his sudden epiphany about Lorelai, Luke smiled and slipped back to their easy banter. "Please. My dad didn't even have a checking account until I finally grew taller then he was. He bought this land with cash from working construction, built this place himself. Didn't have a bookkeeper, accountant... anything."

"Wow, so you had no one showing you the ropes." Lorelai glanced around the diner, impressed at what he'd managed to build for himself.

"Nope, I figured I had to just dive in on my own, fail if that was my destiny, and forget what the experts say." Luke chuckled, drawing Lorelai's attention back to him.

"That is exactly my philosophy. Exactly. Except I'm not diving in on my own, I'm diving in with Sookie, and, uh, failure is not even an option, and I'm consulting any expert who will listen to me. Otherwise, it's identical." She grimaced at the thought of failure, her heart rate rising as she fought hard to prevent herself from panicking. Lorelai cringed, imagining how much her mother would gloat if she failed. She couldn't let that happen, she wouldn't. She began breathing heavily as her panic burst forth.

Luke noticed the change. "You won't fail," he said, hoping she couldn't hear the concern in his voice.

"But what if I do? What if I let everyone down? Sookie, Rory… you?" She whispered it so softly, he had to strain to hear her.

Luke reached across the table as she blinked furiously, unsuccessfully willing the tears in her eyes to disappear. He took her hand and gently rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "Listen to me," he said gently, "you are the most intelligent person I know, besides Rory."

"Well sure." She smiled, despite the silent trail of tears now sliding down her face.

"You can do this, Lorelai. You can do anything you set your mind to. I'll be here to help you along the way. You're not alone in this." He leaned in closer, trying to gain eye contact and reassure her.

She was silent for several moments as she gazed down at their joined hands, embarrassed by her tears. His hand felt warm and solid in hers and she was surprised at how comforting she found it. His thumb continued to glide gently over the soft skin of her hand. Gradually, the feeling of security was replaced by another feeling, one she couldn't quite put her finger on, but it made her feel warm and tingly all over.

She looked up in surprise, suddenly comprehending what the feeling actually was. Her mouth formed a shocked 'o' shape, as she became conscious of the fact that she was practically face to face with Luke, who had shifted closer in his concern.

She stared at him, her heart beating wildly as she noticed what she thought was heat in his eyes. Her attraction to him was growing by the second and it terrified her. Part of her was tempted to close the distance between them and satisfy her curiosity about what it would be like to kiss him. Another part of her wanted to run, and find Sookie, and analyze everything about this moment until she figured out what the hell it all meant.

Luke was startled by the look of desire in her eyes that was evident when she looked up from her trance. His thoughts abruptly shifted back to his earlier revelation, and he stared at the fascinating shape of her lips. She tightened her grip on his hand, and inched her head closer to his. The pounding in his chest was deafening as he anticipated her kiss. He was surprised everyone in the diner couldn't hear it.

Their lips were barely a centimeter apart when a loud beeping sound caused them both to jump. Lorelai lost her balance and nearly fell off her chair, but Luke's grip on her hand held her up as she dug the offensive cell phone from her pocket.

"Oh crap! I'm late for a meeting with Sookie." She looked at him regretfully, disappointed that she hadn't been able to discover what he tasted like. _Where are these thoughts coming from?_ she asked herself.

She stood up and gathered her things. "Well, uh, I should um… go." She tripped over her chair as she walked toward the door. She caught herself on the table, somehow managing to knock her half empty coffee mug onto the floor in the process. "I'm sorry, Luke, I don't know what is wrong with me today."

"It's okay." Luke shrugged, trying to suppress his own frustration at the interruption. "You go. I'll take care of this." He gestured to the mess on the floor.

"Are you sure?" Lorelai looked at him doubtfully.

"I'm sure." Luke growled. He needed her to leave before he lost his last shred of self-control and gave into the temptation to pull her into the back and ravage her.

She moved toward the door, slipping on the spilt coffee. "Lorelai, watch out!" he yelped, as she nearly plunged to the floor for the third time in less than 5 minutes.

She caught herself again, and carefully stepped over the rest of the mess. She managed to make it to the door without further catastrophe, and Luke breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door, turning back to give Luke one last look. "See you later," she said, though it sounded almost like a question.

"Later," Luke said firmly, giving her a little wave as she exited the diner.

xxxxx

Melody giggled, squirming on Luke's lap. "Eww. I'm glad you didn't kiss him, LaiLai. Kissing is icky."

Lorelai laughed. "One day you'll change your mind on that, Squirt."

"Nuh uh." Melody shook her head vehemently as she scrunched up her nose in disgust. "I'll never kiss boys."

Luke hugged her tightly. "Amen to that."

Melody frowned. "We're not in church, Grumps!"

Luke chuckled. "It's just an expression."

"Oh." She was getting bored of the conversation so she looked up at Lorelai and asked, "What happened next? Is that when Mia came?"

Lorelai smiled. "Not quite. Sookie and I decided to have a meeting with Fran."

xxxxx

That afternoon, Lorelai sat at a table in Weston's, waiting for Sookie to arrive. They had discovered that Fran held the deed to the property they wanted to purchase for their inn, and they had agreed to meet today so they could try to talk to Fran about selling it.

Lorelai tapped her foot impatiently, as her thoughts drifted to her conversation with Luke at the diner that morning. Her sudden attraction to him, and her inability to get him out of her mind, puzzled her. She felt like she'd known Luke forever, and until now, she'd really only ever viewed him as a coffee dealer, a Mr. Fix-it guy, and a good friend.

A memory from the time she'd helped him pick out paint samples for the diner popped into her head and she realized she had been lying to herself. She'd felt an attraction to him that night. They'd been on their hands and knees behind the counter, their shoulders touching, and in the moment before they'd been interrupted, she'd felt herself inexplicably drawn to him. As she reflected back on that moment now, she was pretty certain that they would have kissed that night, if they'd had the opportunity. The moment had passed, and even though she'd admitted to her mother of all people, that she might have feelings for Luke, she'd never acted on them. Then Christopher had shown up, and that was that. Or so she'd thought.

She continued to sit there, sipping her coffee, eating her second piece of carrot cake and reflecting on her history with Luke. It dawned on her that there had been other times, especially in the last few years, when she had thought that maybe, there could be something more than friendship between them. Her brain flitted from memory to memory as though a filmstrip of her life were playing on fast forward inside her head: Luke coming with her to the hospital when her dad was sick; Luke helping her look for Stella; Luke almost asking her out on the night of the torturous double date with Rune; Luke bringing ice at the exact right moment; Luke making her the beautiful, hand carved Chuppah for her wedding to Max. Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke. She couldn't stop thinking about him, and each memory made her aware that the attraction she was feeling for him was not new. It was something she'd felt for a long time, but had obviously suppressed.

She could see it now. Her jealousy over Rachel. Her fight with Max after the stare down with Luke in her foyer. Her intense desire to call him on the night of her bachelorette party. Her reluctance to include Max, fully in her life. All, had been a direct result of her repressed feelings.

Her heart thumped rapidly as she thought of him. Her palms were sweaty, and she couldn't focus on anything else. _Oh my God. I like Luke, _she thought, trying to calm herself down with a bite of the carrot cake that sat in front of her. _How did that happen? What now? Could I really have a relationship with him? How does he feel about me? Would he even want to date me? Dating? I'm thinking about dating Luke? Oh my __God__. _She popped a rum ball in her mouth and chewed rapidly, trying desperately to collect herself. She failed miserably and instead began to daydream about kissing him, touching him, loving him. _Maybe I should have tested the waters. Damn, I should have kissed him this morning._

It was at that moment that Sookie finally burst through the bakery door. "Honey, I'm so sorry. Am I late, late or just late?"

Lorelai frantically pushed all thoughts of Luke to the outer corners of her mind, and gestured to the empty plates and wrappers in front of her. "Two pieces of carrot cake and a rumball."

"Ah, I am so sorry! I swear I meant to be on time, but I was prepping the raspberry glaze for tonight's dessert special, and it struck me. I made a blueberry glaze for the soufflé I prepared last Tuesday, and this is Tuesday, and a lot of locals come every week on the same night, and I just didn't want to serve them a similar dessert even though it's a completely different berry. . ."

As Sookie rambled, Lorelai's thoughts began to migrate over to Luke again. _Not now!_ she shouted internally. She groaned aloud. "I need another rumball."

"Ah, I'm sorry," Sookie squeaked.

Lorelai sighed, using every ounce of her will power to remain focused on her friend. "No, you're a perfectionist, and that attention to detail is why people call you the Maestro."

"Really? Who calls me that?"

"The people who eat the rumballs." Lorelai smiled, thrilled that the banter was effectively distracting her.

She was just thinking that she could use another pastry to nibble on, when Fran wandered over to their table. Lorelai and Sookie shared an excited look, knowing that this was their opportunity to discus the inn.

"Buy the Dragonfly?" Fran asked incredulously, after they awkwardly expressed their intentions.

"Yes, we'd like to buy it and make it beautiful again, and we're prepared to make you an offer right now." Lorelai smiled, hoping that Fran would take the news well.

"Oh my, well this is a surprise." Fran shifted in her seat as she digested this. Lorelai and Sookie exchanged another look, this time one of concern that maybe Fran would be more hesitant than they'd thought.

"See, Sookie and I are gonna start our own inn and we've been searching for the perfect place," Lorelai explained cautiously.

"Your own inn?" Fran's smile was genuine.

Lorelai felt hopeful once more. "Yeah."

"Oh, how wonderful! You are going to be so successful," Fran gushed.

"Thanks, sweetie." Sookie gently patted Fran's hand as she beamed at Lorelai.

Lorelai beamed back, relieved that the conversation was coming out in their favour. "That means so much, Fran."

"But I can't sell you the property."

Lorelai's hopes plummeted, as her dream crumbled in front of her. She desperately blinked back tears and searched for something positive to cling to. She heard Luke's words, ringing through her mind: _You can do this,__Lorelai, you can do anything you set your mind to. _She latched on to them and her panic subsided slightly.

Sookie nearly fell out of her chair as she burst out, "What?"

Lorelai's voice was miraculously calm, "How come?"

"I just couldn't. You know, I have no siblings and no children, and in a way, that place is really the only family I have. I'm the last Weston left, so I plan to own it forever." Fran's words sent Lorelai back into panic mode. _This is it. We're ruined. Our vision is gone before it even starts. I knew something like this would happen. What do we do now? _

Lorelai and Sookie tried to find out what would happen to the Dragonfly once Fran died, but their attempt at subtlety failed, and they left Westons feeling dejected and defeated.

_TBC_


	2. Confusion

_**A/N:** I've decided to post chapter 2 a little bit early since so many people are asking for it, and let's face it - I'm impatient. The final two chapters will be posted tomorrow (Christmas day). One in the morning and one in the evening. Merry Christmas everyone._

**Confusion**

xxxxx

"I still think it was mean of her not to give you the inn," Melody declared, her arms crossed and her brow furrowed.

"She loved it, and she wasn't ready to give it up," Lorelai explained patiently. "Kind of like the way you love your doll house."

The little girl's blue eyes widened. "Oh yeah, no one else can have that, it's special 'cause Grumps made it for me with his own two hands. It's mine forever an' ever an' ever an' ever an' ever." She looked up at Luke, as though waiting for confirmation that she wouldn't have to give up her precious gift.

He laughed heartily. "Of course it's yours, Mel. Lorelai just means that Fran felt the same way about the Dragonfly. She didn't want anyone else to have it while she was alive because it was so special to her."

"Oh, okay." She relaxed in Luke's arms contentedly now that she knew her own property was safe. "Keep going. Mia comes soon!"

Lorelai giggled. For some reason Melody was enamored by Mia, even though she'd never me her. "You really love that part, don't you kiddo?"

Melody nodded, her little pigtails bouncing. "Mia is like Cinderella's Fairy Godmother – she comes in at just the right time and makes everything okay."

Lorelai gazed lovingly at her great granddaughter while she marveled at the 6 year old mind and its amazing ability to simplify complex situations. "Mia, the Fairy Godmother," she whispered softly, tilting her head upwards to catch Luke's eye. "She'd like that wouldn't she?"

"She would," Luke confirmed, "And she would have loved Melody too," he added sadly, acknowledging the hole in his heart that had been left by Mia's passing many years before.

"She would have loved them all," Lorelai said, thinking of their many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

"Yeah." Luke leaned down and kissed her softly. She kissed him back, accepting the comfort he offered, and returning it with her own.

A sudden outburst of giggling caused him to pull away. He looked up and saw three more girls from the latest generation of Gilmore-Danes offspring peeking at them through the porch rails.

"Come sit with us if you want to hear the story," he growled at them. They giggled again and scrambled over to their great grandparents, settling in around their feet.

"Now, where were we?" Lorelai asked.

"Mia!" squealed Melody.

"Oh, Mia!" one of the new arrivals shouted.

"I love Mia," another intoned dreamily.

Lorelai laughed. "Okay, Mia. So Sookie and I returned to the inn after Fran had crushed our dream of buying the Dragonfly. Our bout of ennui was to be short lived though, because Michel informed us that Mia had arrived for a surprise inspection."

xxxxx

Sookie and Lorelai were bantering with Rory, and trying to come to terms with Fran's refusal to sell the Dragonfly, when Michel came traipsing into the kitchen with a smug expression on his face. "I would advise at least pretending to look busy, the boss is here."

Rory's face lit up. "Mia!"

"You're kidding! When?" Lorelai asked excitedly.

Michel shrugged. "I just spotted her walking in."

Lorelai grabbed Rory's hand and pulled her toward the exit. "Let's go."

As soon as they entered the lobby, Rory broke away from her mother and ran toward an older woman who was standing near the reception desk.

"Mia!" she shouted, embracing her.

Lorelai caught up, just in time to be pulled into a group hug. "Uh! Oh my babies! Ooh!" Mia cried, squeezing them tightly.

They greeted each other fondly, and after Rory and Lorelai passed Mia's inspection and endured the requisite, "You're too thin" comments, the three of them linked arms and left Michel to take care of the inn while they headed off to explore the town and catch up.

xxxx

Luke looked up and saw Lorelai, Rory and Mia enter the diner. He set down the screwdriver he had been using to fix the toaster, and walked over to them nervously.

He'd been thinking about Lorelai non-stop since their meeting the morning before. He wondered what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted. Would she have kissed him? And if so, what did it mean? Did she like him? Would it have changed things between them? What would kissing her be like?

He shoved the thoughts aside and greeted Mia jovially. "Mia, hey!"

She hugged him and said, "Nice to see you, Lucas."

Luke saw Lorelai's eyes light up at the thought of a new way to torment him. _Like she needs another one.__Her__ mere existence is torture enough - especially in that sweater. My God she looks amazing today. So kissable and –_ He closed his eyes to clear the image from his brain before turning his attention back to Mia. "You're the only person in the world who can call me that, Mia."

Mia smiled. "I know this."

He looked pointedly at Lorelai. "I'm saying it for others who plan to try it later."

She grinned wickedly and said, "Whatever Lucas."

Luke headed off to get the coffee as the girls began to pepper Mia with questions about Santa Barbara and sat down at the table by the corner window.

Jess came downstairs, and after teasing Luke about his inability to fix the toaster, was introduced to Mia. Jess answered monosyllabically and fled, leaving Luke to apologize for his nephew.

Mia shrugged it off. "Oh please, forget it. You weren't exactly a talkative boy yourself when you were his age."

"That's right, you knew Luke as a boy." The gleam was back in Lorelai's eye. She tried to picture Luke as a kid and smiled at the image that began to take shape inside her brain. But as cute as the imaginary child in her head was, he couldn't compete with the flesh and blood male who stood before her now. Her breathing quickened as she discretely ran her eyes up and down his form. Her gaze settled on his lips and she licked her own, wondering as she had yesterday, what kissing him would be like.

Her face flushed as she turned to see Mia studying her, and she quickly diverted the conversation back to Luke's childhood, breathing a sigh of relief when Rory jumped in and asked questions too.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" Lorelai burst out, after Mia revealed that Luke had been a Trekkie. She and Rory immediately began teasing him, but for Lorelai it was half-hearted. It wasn't the same teasing him now. Whatever had happened yesterday had changed things between them and she wasn't sure she liked it.

She felt his gaze on her and looked up, surprised at the heat that she found there. Her pulse began to race again and she felt an odd energy surging between them. She suddenly wished they were alone, so she could figure out what was going on.

The moment was broken an instant later when Taylor burst through the diner door and began to yell at Luke about a phony murder.

While Rory watched the floorshow in amusement, Mia leaned toward Lorelai and whispered, "What was all that about?"

"All what?" Lorelai whispered back.

"You and Luke."

"Nothing."

"That wasn't a nothing, that was a something. Are you dating?"

"What?" Lorelai jerked her hand, sloshing coffee onto the table. "No. We're definitely not dating."

"But you like him?"

"I'm not sure," Lorelai answered honestly. "I think, maybe I do."

Mia's face broke into a broad grin and she clasped her hands together in front of her face. "Oh, that's wonderful. The two of you together would be amazing."

"You think so?" Lorelai's voice wobbled.

"I know so." Mia patted Lorelai's hand supportively. "You've come a long way from that scared little girl who showed up on my doorstep with an infant in her arms. And he's come a long way, too. You know, he had a really hard time growing up, with his mom dying so young and then his dad getting sick and Liz getting pregnant. He was a very unhappy, and angry young man."

Mia elaborated on some of the details as Lorelai absorbed the information and studied Luke, who was now in a full-scale argument with Taylor. She'd known he'd had a tough childhood, but hearing the details of it filled her with a deep and overwhelming sense of pain for him. She wanted to go to him, wrap her arms around him protectively and never let go.

Her eyes swam with unshed tears as Mia said, "I've known both of you a long time. I think you'd be good for each other. You'd balance each other out." Her tone became more serious as she continued, "He's had a rough life, our Luke; he deserves some happiness. So do you."

Lorelai smiled weakly. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Mia squeezed her hand.

xxxxx

Melody was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing up and down on Luke's lap. "See?" She clapped her hands. "Mia really _is_ the Fairy Godmother."

"No she's not." Her sister Margaret said, joining her cousins Joey, Jessica, and Robin at Luke and Lorelai's feet. "She's just a person."

"Well, duh." Melody stuck her tongue out at her sister just as her mother, Laurie, came out to check on them.

"Melody!" she admonished, "That was rude. Apologize to your sister."

"Sorry Mags," she said automatically, before turning back to her beloved Lailai and Grumps saying, "What happened next?"

"Wow, how have I not heard this story before?" Robin asked.

Jessica laughed. "Probably 'cause you were too distracted by something shiny to pay attention."

"Hmm… you're probably right." Robin looked up at her great grandparents. "I'll be better, please continue."

Lorelai laughed. She loved her family and all their crazy. "Well, I had a bit of a freak-out when I realized that I hadn't told Mia about our plans to open our own inn. I made up my mind to tell her after the town meeting that night."

"Town massacre, more like," Luke grumbled.

xxxxx

Lorelai sat in her office with a cup of coffee and a plate of Sookie's cookies. She had been distracted all afternoon. Not only was she panicking about having to tell Mia that she and Sookie wanted to open their own inn, but she also couldn't stop thinking about the whispered conversation she'd had with Mia that afternoon.

She was haunted by the new things she'd learned about him; the way he'd practically had to raise Liz, how he'd cast aside his plans for college to take care of his ailing father and his failing store, how hard his fathers' death had been on him, the blow he must have felt when Liz got pregnant and proceeded to flit from one bad situation to the next.

_No wonder he's such a grump_, she reflected, _He's had so many things in his life go wrong. His family has basically deserted him and he's alone, running the diner he started himself and cleaning up after Liz and Jess's messes. _

_And yet, he's the most amazing person I know. Sure, he's gruff on the exterior, but once you get past that you see that he's a man who's hurting. A man who is loyal and caring and loves his family despite their __shortcomings__. Look at the way he was willing to take in his nephew, __and try to __help him. That's the mark of a good man, a loving man. _

Lorelai absently took a sip of coffee as her mind continued to whirr. _He's good to his friends too. Always willing to help. I swear he's practically rebuilt our entire house. It would be rubble at our feet without him. And he's so great with Rory. He's been a better father to her than Christopher will ever be. He's so protective of her, and I know they adore each other. _

Was Mia right? Could she and Luke really become more than just friends? Did he want that? Did she? She took a sharp breath as she realized that she did. He was already an integral part of her life and Rory's, and she could easily see him fitting into their family like the missing piece of a puzzle.

Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to go to him and share her newfound revelations with him. She grabbed her jacket and was just walking toward her office door, when Michel burst inside without knocking and began rambling about maids calling in sick and the inn being overbooked. Sighing, she dropped her coat and followed him. Luke would have to wait.

xxxxx

Lorelai tried to dawdle as she Rory and Mia made their way to Miss Patty's for the town meeting that evening. She wanted to be late so she could find out what Taylor meant when he'd said there would be severe consequences the next time they were late.

They passed the diner and saw Luke locking up. Despite her revelation from earlier in the day, she felt nervous now. _What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if I say something, and it offends him and it ruins our friendship?_

She avoided looking at him as they all walked across the street to Miss Patty's. The four of them entered the hall, only to discover that the meeting was already in session.

"What's going on here?" Luke barked as he stepped through the door behind them.

Taylor hedged, "Uh, nothing."

"Meeting was supposed to start at eight, Taylor. It's a minute to eight." Luke pointed at his watch.

After a bit more evading, Taylor finally admitted that they started early and hadn't invited Luke because they were dealing with the 'Jess' situation.

Lorelai rolled her eyes as Taylor offered ridiculous rationales for his actions. She wasn't a huge fan of Jess, but none of this was Luke's fault. He was doing the best that he could. It was a nice thing, and now these people were throwing it in his face. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Back off, Taylor." She looked at Luke apologetically. At his nod, she continued. "Jess is Luke's responsibility, so if there is a problem, and I'm not saying there is, but if there is, give him time to deal with it before you storm his diner with torches and pitchforks."

"I don't think I know what you mean," Taylor said.

"Ugh." Lorelai groaned in frustration. "Luke is a respected member of our community, he feeds every single one of you on a regular basis and he supports the community even though he doesn't always participate. He's a good man, with a good heart and he's trying to do a good thing by taking in his nephew. He's trying to get him on a better path, and all this?" She gestured at the room in general. "Is not helping. Lay off him and let him do what he needs to, to set Jess straight. In the meantime, find something else to do, 'cause what you're all doing now stinks."

Luke smiled at her gratefully, awed at her outburst. "I'm done here. I'm done with all of you. Oh, and I was gonna stay open later in case anyone wanted to eat after the meeting. Forget that." He cast one last look at Lorelai before storming out and stomping over to the diner.

xxxxx

"Taylor sounds like he's as crazy as our town selectman, Peter." Joey exclaimed.

Luke looked at her and grumbled, "Believe me, Taylor was 1000 times worse than Peter."

The eyes of all five children grew large and round as they contemplated this possibility.

"It's true." Rory came out of the house and stood next to her daughter, Laurie. "Taylor was all kinds of crazy. And Luke seemed to get the brunt of it."

Robin tugged gently on Loreali's sleeve. "Lailai, what about Mia, did you tell her about the inn?"

Lorelai pulled Robin onto her lap and gave her a quick hug. "Yes, Robin, I did."

"Was she mad?" Margaret asked.

"No, actually, quite the opposite. She was thrilled." Lorelai grimaced slightly at the memory.

"She was?" Jessica's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah, she told me that it gave her a reason to sell the Independence Inn."

"But that's where Nana Rory grew up." Joey looked at her Nana in concern then turned back to Lorelai."

"Yes, it was, Joey," Lorelai said softly, reaching out and squeezing the little girls' hand.

"I was pretty upset at the time. In fact, I was so upset that I went to see your Grumps that night, 'cause he always knew how to cheer me up. Even then."

Luke gazed at her adoringly and grinned. "Always," he whispered before turning back to the children. "I'd returned to the diner that night, furious and ready to give Jess a piece of my mind. But Jess wasn't around, so instead I sat in the dark, stewing and filling the ketchup bottles."

xxxxx

Lorelai walked to the diner in a daze, stunned and hurt that Mia was thinking of selling the inn. She'd known she'd have to leave it one day, but the reality of losing it had hit her in the face like a ton of bricks. The Independence Inn was her home, Rory's home, and the thought of someone other than Mia running it broke her heart.

All thoughts of Mia and the inn fled as Lorelai came to the door of the darkened diner and spotted Luke behind the counter, slamming ketchup bottles around violently. He had a haunted look on his face and his shoulders were hunched in a very un-Luke-like manner. She had intended to talk to him tonight, maybe try to figure out what was going on between them, but now she could see that he needed her comfort and reassurance more than anything.

She tapped lightly on the window and he looked up, his face relaxing into a gentle smile when he saw who it was. He strode to the door and unlocked it, holding it open for her as she slipped inside.

"Hi," she said smiling.

"Hey." He gave her a half smile and walked back to his post behind the counter.

She followed him and plunked herself onto her favourite stool.

She observed him in silence as he turned on the coffee and continued to fill the ketchup bottles. When he reached out to pick up the next one she grabbed his hand gently. He stilled, staring at her hand on his. Her skin felt warm and smooth and he felt his anger at Jess and the town wane slightly.

"Luke," she said softly.

He tore his gaze away from their joined hands and looked at her. Her eyes were filled with concern and compassion as she lightly squeezed his hand. "Are you okay? Taylor was out of hand back there. Jess is _your _business, not theirs."

Luke felt his anger bubbling to the surface again and he breathed deeply, trying to keep it in check. "I'm doing the best I can. Can't they see that? Jess is his own person, I didn't tell him to pull that prank. If he even did it. We don't even know that he did it for sure. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he did it."

Lorelai didn't respond right away, instead she grasped his hand tighter and led him to a table. She gestured for him to sit. She reluctantly released his hand and settled in beside him, before turning to look at him again. "Luke, I think it's an amazing thing what you're doing, taking your nephew in like this, trying to help him. He's a troubled kid, there will be bumps along the way, but I firmly believe that you can do this. To hell with what the rest of the loons in this town think."

"You really think I can help him? Set him on the right path?" Luke asked doubtfully. "'Cause it sure doesn't feel like I'm doing a whole lot of good. He's angry, he's mouthy, he keeps getting himself into trouble, and I don't have a clue what to do about it."

Lorelai adjusted her chair so that they were sitting knee to knee. She took both of his hands in hers and looked him in the eye. "You'll figure it out. You'll find a way to help him. It's what you do."

"Thanks." Luke began to relax. There was something about the combination of her words and her presence that made him feel like everything was going to be okay. He smiled at her gratefully, frowning as he detected a hint of sadness in her eyes. He leaned toward her and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. "Hey, are _you_ okay? You look a bit upset yourself."

Lorelai looked down, blinking her eyes to try and curb the tears that were threatening to fall. "Mia wants to sell the Independence Inn," she whispered.

He froze for a moment, absorbing the information. He knew that the inn was much more than just a place of employment to her. It had been her home with Rory, her safe haven, her mecca. The thought of Mia selling it must have been tearing her apart.

Luke gathered her into his arms and pulled her across his lap before he even realized what he was doing. Her internal dam broke and she sobbed against his chest as he engulfed her in the safety of his arms. He stroked her hair, letting her grieve for the possible loss as he whispered words of consolation in her ear.

Eventually she ran out of tears. She continued to rest her head on him as she gained strength from the comfort and safety that eminated from him. Her heart began to pound against her ribs as she let her troubles drop away and became aware of him as a man again. She could smell him now, a mix of food and grease and something else, something rustic, manly.

She lifted her chin, and his face was hovering right above hers. She could see the tiny bumps of hairs along his jawline, the smooth curve of his nose, the round softness of his lips. His eyes glazed over as he studied her face carefully. He licked his lips and Lorelai breathed sharply, a jolt of desire spreading through her body, beginning in her stomach and radiating everywhere.

Unable to resist, she closed the distance between them and pressed herself against his lips. He tasted sweeter than she'd imagined and she found herself melting into him as he returned the kiss, his arms holding her firmly in place as his tongue circled the outsides of her lips. She moaned and opened her mouth for him. He thrust his tongue between her lips and found hers, engaging it in an intricate dance.

They paused for a moment, their chests rising and falling as they caught their breath. Lorelai gaped at him, about to say something, but he leaned in again and kissed her thoroughly before she could speak. He showered her with kisses, soft kisses: hard kisses, wet kisses. She felt his desire surge against her leg and it sent shockwaves racing through every nerve in her body. She returned his kisses, her urgency increasing as she wrapped her arms around him.

The bell above the door jingled and they pulled apart.

Jess stood in the doorway, smirking. "Maybe I should come back later."

"No." As Luke spoke, Lorelai shifted on his lap and lost her balance. She tumbled off, a tangle of arms and legs as she tried to catch herself before she hit the floor. "You okay?" Luke asked, offering his hand and pulling her to her feet as she nodded.

He turned to Jess. "You. Get upstairs. I'll be up in a minute and then you and I are going to have a long chat about what is and isn't funny to the residents of Stars Hollow."

Jess rolled his eyes. "Gee, Uncle Luke. Are you sure you don't want me to leave for a bit so you can finish what you've started with your 'lady friend'?"

Lorelai blushed as Luke growled, "Get your smart ass butt upstairs. Now!" He pointed to the curtain.

"Okay, okay." Jess sauntered across the diner. He paused at the curtain and looked back at them. "But are you sur - "

"Go!" Luke barked.

"Your choice." Jess shrugged and pulled back the curtain.

Luke listened to Jess' footsteps on the stairs and the slamming of a door before turning back to Lorelai.

"I should go." She picked up her jacket and moved toward the door. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Luke didn't like the awkwardness in her tone. He knew they needed to talk about what had just happened between them and he was frustrated that they couldn't do it now, because he had a moody teenager waiting upstairs to be dealt with. "Yes, tomorrow. I was planning to come over and waterproof the Chuppah in the afternoon. Is that still okay?"

Lorelai nodded and opened the door. She gave him a quick wave and bolted. She needed to get home, figure out what had happened, how she felt about it, and what to do next.

_TBC_


	3. Connection

_**A/N:** Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you enjoy this next installment. The final chapter, (the one that warrants the adult rating), will be posted later today. Happy holidays!_

**Connection**

xxxxx

Luke laughed at the giggling children surrounding them.

"Too much kissing," complained Robin, scrunching up her forehead.

"I like the kissing," Margaret declared.

"Ewww…" Melody gaped at her eldest sister while the others jeered at her.

"What?" Margaret glared at her sister and cousins. "Kissing is good."

When this was met with another round of "eww's", giggling and gagging sounds, Margaret stood up. "I'm surrounded by a bunch of babies." With that, she spun around and stormed inside, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm not a baby, I'm 6," Melody said indignantly as she tried to hold up 6 fingers with one hand.

Lorelai said sadly, "You're all growing up so fast."

"Let's get back to the story," Luke suggested, checking his watch. "It's getting late."

"Is the next part the part with Gilbert?" Joey asked.

"Oh! I love Gilbert," Jessica squealed, "It's the perfect name for a goat, and it reminds me of Gilbert Blythe." She sighed dreamily.

"Who? Is this a boy?" Luke asked, his protective instinct kicking in.

Lorelai laughed. "He's a boy, but he's fictional, from _Anne of Green Gables_."

Luke relaxed, grateful that he didn't need to go beat anyone up, he was too tired. Instead he answered Joey's question. "Yes Joey, this part has Gilbert."

She giggled. "Good."

xxxx

Lorelai pulled into her driveway, feeling exhausted and miserable. She was still kicking herself for picking a fight with Sookie and she wasn't sure how to fix it. She was also feeling sad about the prospect of someone other than Mia owning the Independence Inn. To top it all off, she was all kinds of confused over the Luke situation.

Their kiss had been in the back of her mind all day. _Luke had kissed her back._ She wondered if that meant he liked her. Maybe they did have a chance of making a go of it. She was pretty certain that was what she wanted, she just needed to know if it was what Luke wanted.

She sighed and stumbled out of the jeep. She had her hand on the doorknob, when she heard a clanging sound coming from the side of the house. She dropped her bag on the porch, and tiptoed around the side, armed with a bench pillow to hit with in case it was an intruder.

She rounded the corner, the pounding in her chest increasing as she raised the pillow above her head. She took a step and bumped into something hard. She shrieked and began to hit the thing with the pillow.

"Hey! Stop that!" Luke shouted, trying to cover his head with his arms.

Lorelai promptly dropped the pillow, and gaped at him, her heart still racing, but this time for a completely different reason. "Luke."

Luke rubbed his forehead where she'd managed to hit him with the pillow. "Jeez, Lorelai, what the hell was that all about?"

"I heard a noise. I thought it was an intruder."

"So you decided to what? Scare him off with a pillow?"

"It was the only thing I could find," she said before bursting out laughing. "Not my brightest plan, I'll admit."

Luke chuckled. "Only you would choose a pillow as your weapon of choice, although, my head thanks you for that."

"Did I hurt you?" she asked, worried.

"Just my manly pride," he joked.

"Oh, well in that case…" She picked up the pillow again and swung it towards him. This time he was ready for it, and he caught it in his hands before she could do any damage. She held out her hands in defeat and asked, "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I came to weatherproof the Chuppah, remember?" Luke wiped his hands on a shop towel and gestured toward the object in question.

"Oh, right." Lorelai rubbed her temples. "Sorry, it's been a long day."

"Wanna talk about it? I have to wait for the first coat to dry, so I've got time."

"Sure." She opened the backdoor and gestured to the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"Tea would be nice." He picked up a wooden figurine and followed her into the house.

"What's that?" she asked as she turned on the kettle.

"The Chuppah goat." Luke answered, as he examined the two pieces and tried to see how they fit together.

Lorelai gasped,"Gilbert!"

"What?" Luke looked up from the figurine.

"The goat. We named him Gilbert. He's headless. Can you fix him?"

"Yeah, I got some glue here. I can fix him." He pulled out a bottle of wood glue and set it on the table.

"Good, I don't think I could handle another broken thing today." Lorelai slumped into the chair beside Luke.

"Another thing? What happened?" Luke spread glue onto one of the pieces and held them together while he looked at her inquiringly.

"Sookie and I had a fight. A big, humongous fight. We've never had a huge fight, let alone a fight, and awful things were said. She's never going to speak to me again." The kettle was boiling so Lorelai stood up and pulled two mugs from the cabinet.

Luke placed Gilbert on the table and watched her as she made his tea and poured herself some coffee. "What sparked this fight?"

"I wigged out because of what Mia told me last night and I just flat out panicked about the enormity of what we're doing. It's stupid, I don't know, but that was our home for so long. Mine and Rory's. It's where Rory took her first step. It's where I took my first step. It's more of a home to me than my parents' house ever was. And it's just weird to think that it wouldn't be there and Mia wouldn't be there and I wouldn't be there, and I just got very upset, and I took it out on Sookie." She set the mug of tea in front of Luke and sat down with her coffee.

Luke rubbed her arm reassuringly and said, "It's not stupid at all. Even though you haven't lived there for years, it's still your home, I get that. You'll fix things with Sookie. You're scared. Just like everybody else when they're taking on something big."

She was finding it very hard to think about anything other than his hand on her arm. "Thank you, Luke. I'm sorry for dumping this on you. I really appreciate your advice and support, it means a lot to me." She glanced up at him meaningfully. "You mean a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me too, Lorelai," he whispered, his voice breathy. The words had rapidly altered the tone of the conversation and the room was suddenly thick with untapped sexual tension. Luke swallowed hard as he recalled their kiss in the diner the night before.

She looked at him closely, searching for a clue as to what he was thinking right now. When the answer wasn't immediately forthcoming, she forged ahead nervously. It was time for them to talk.

"Um, Luke? Last night, in the diner, what we did…" She lost her train of thought as she relived the kiss in her mind. She moaned softly and Luke groaned at the way his body was reacting. The sound brought her back to the present, and she blushed, trying frantically to get back to her point. "Um, what we did last night, in the diner, well, it made me realize something. Well, actually, I realized it before that, but last night confirmed it."

Luke's breath caught as he waited for her to elaborate.

Lorelai took a deep breath of her own, and leapt off the cliff. "You're the first person I think of to talk to when I'm upset, and you always seem to know just the right thing to say to make me feel better. You're always looking after Rory and I, fixing things, feeding us, worrying about our eating habits. I trust you more than I trust anyone except for Rory. I come into the diner multiple times a day, not just for the delicious coffee but also for the company. I want you in my life as more than just a friend. I want you to be a part of my future. And most of all, I want to be able to kiss you again, because when we kissed last night I felt as though a part of me that had been missing had been found. You complete me, Lucas Danes. In every possible way."

Luke breathed a sigh of relief and stood. He took her hand and tugged her up until she was standing directly in front of him. She looked at him questioningly, anxious for his response to her declaration. Without saying a word, he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her firmly. He pulled on her bottom lip with his and sucked gently for a moment before releasing her. Her arms encircled his waist as he continued to shower her with kisses. He kissed a trail up to her ear and nuzzled gently as he whispered, "Thank you, Lorelai. You have just made me the happiest man alive."

Her lips found his again and their tongues entwined as they kissed passionately. They were both so involved in the moment, that neither of them heard the front door open and close.

Rory walked into the kitchen and froze, her eyes wide with shock as she watched Luke kiss her mother. After a moment, the shock subsided and she cleared her throat loudly. Her mom and Luke quickly pulled apart and turned to her. Luke's cheeks flamed with embarrassment at being caught, again, while Lorelai looked at her shoes, contemplating the best way to approach this. If she and Luke were about to start a relationship, which she was pretty sure they were, then Rory needed to know about it, and now seemed like as good a time as any to come clean.

Her decision made, Lorelai looked up at Rory and smiled sheepishly. "Hiya, babe."

Rory glanced from her mother to Luke then back to her mother before answering. "Uh, hi, Mom."

"I guess we should talk about this." Lorelai moved to the table and gestured for Rory to sit. Rory reluctantly put down her book bag and sat at the table as Luke turned toward the back door. He'd almost made his escape, when he felt Lorelai's hand slip into his pulling him back toward Rory. "You're a part of this now, too. Please stay."

Luke nodded and took a seat. Lorelai took the chair beside him, directly across from her daughter.

"So… um… are you two dating now?" Rory asked uncomfortably.

Lorelai looked at Luke questioningly. At his nod, she broke into a huge grin and said, "Yes, sweets, I guess we are."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rory asked her mother.

Luke spoke up. "It's kind of new."

"Wow. Okay… this is big," Rory stammered.

"Are you okay with this?" Luke asked nervously. He knew that if Rory objected, Lorelai would respect that, whether she wanted to or not. There was a very real possibility that their relationship would be over before it even began and the thought pained him more than he liked to admit.

Rory was silent for several seconds before she nodded and said, "You're sure this is what you both want? You're not going to sit me down in a few weeks and tell me it's over and we can never eat at Luke's again?"

"I'm pretty sure this is the real deal, hon." She smiled at Luke adoringly and took his hand in hers. "Of course there is never a guarantee, but Luke already means more to me than anyone else I've ever dated. He's already a part of our lives; this just makes him a more active part."

Luke squeezed her hand, slightly awed by her declaration. He cast her a look of deep appreciation before giving a declaration of his own. "Rory, your mother doesn't know this yet, but I've been in love with her almost since the day we met." Luke looked at Lorelai as he he turned to Rory and took her hand before continuing. "And I fell for her daughter the first time I laid eyes on her, dragging her mother to school at the crack of dawn for the first day of Kindergarten." He smiled at the memory. "I've been hoping something like this would happen for a long time."

Rory nodded cautiously. "Take good care of her, Luke. I'm glad you finally found each other." With that, she grabbed her book bag. As she disappeared into her room to study, she couldn't seem to prevent herself from smiling.

xxxx

Rory gazed lovingly at her parents as they summarized their early romance for their great grandchildren. That day in the kitchen had been one of the happiest in Rory's life. She'd daydreamed about Luke becoming her father almost since the day she'd met him, and after their conversation at the kitchen table, she'd felt certain that her dream was going to come true. She still didn't have much faith in her mothers' relationship skills, but the look on Lorelai's face as she'd gazed at Luke, had been enough to convince her that it would be different with him.

She looked at them now, almost 47 years later, and marvelled at how in love with each other they still were. She saw it in the subtle glances, the light touches, the chaste kisses. Their love was the stuff of legends, and she felt so blessed to have been able to grow up around it.

Her gaze moved to Melody and Robin, who had drifted off to sleep on their Lailai and Grumps' laps. She checked her watch and decided it was time to round everyone up and head for their respective homes. "I think it's time to get going," she said, evoking cries of "Nooooooooooooo," from Jessica and Joey.

"It's getting late," Rory insisted, "and it's way past your bedtimes."

"But Lailai hasn't told us if she made up with Sookie," Jessica whined, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance.

"Yeah, what about Sookie?" Joey piped in.

Lorelai sighed, "We made up the next day. I apologized for being so cruel and disrespectful and after I promised never to do it again, we agreed to continue with our plans to open our own inn."

"That's it?" Joey asked, disappointed that it wasn't a longer story.

"Yup that's it." She pushed Joey's hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "Rory's right, it's time to get you all home." She bent to kiss Robin on the forehead before handing her to her mother Michele, who had just emerged from the house with the rest of the Gilmore-Danes brood in toe.

She looked at Melody, sleeping peacefully in Luke's arms and she remembered when he used to hold their own children that way. Her heart swelled with love for him as she watched him bend down to kiss Melody lightly on the cheek before handing her to Laurie.

Luke and Lorelai were soon bombarded with a plethora of hugs and kisses from the many generations of their family. A few minutes later, they were all loaded into their respected cars and headed for home. Lorelai and Luke stood on the porch together, watching them drive away before returning to the swing to watch the sun set.

_TBC_


	4. Union

_**A/N:**_ _Merry Christmas everyone. Here is the 4th and final installment of this story. This was my first ever attempt at smut so I really hope you like it. Thanks for reading! A huge thank you to **Filo** for betaing of this chapter.  
_

**Union**

xxxxx

Lorelai snuggled against her husband as her thoughts strayed back to the day Rory had caught them kissing in the kitchen.

"That dinner you made that night was delicious," she told him.

Luke leaned toward her, his mouth inches from hers as he growled soft and deep, "As I recall, dessert was even better." He kissed her then, as passionately and urgently as he had the night in the diner.

When they broke apart, Lorelai smiled at him and said, "Yes, it really was amazing, wasn't it?"

xxxx

Lorelai watched in awe as Luke deftly moved through her kitchen, clearing away the dinner dishes, and putting the leftovers in the fridge. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. Just hours earlier she'd been freaking out to him about her fight with Sookie, and wigging about Mia selling the inn. Now he was in her kitchen, cleaning up after a dinner HE had made for her on their very first date.

She observed him fondly as he bent to put something away on the bottom shelf of the fridge, providing her with a perfect view of the swell of his backside. She was eager to touch him again, and the view made her even more impatient.

Deciding that she'd waited long enough, Lorelai met him at the fridge just as he'd stood up and closed the door.

His eyes widened in wonder as she pushed him against the fridge and pressed her lips firmly to his. "I can't believe I'm allowed to do that," she said, as she began to kiss him again, varying her pressure. Luke responded by pulling her closer, one hand on her bottom and the other tangled in her hair as he sucked her tongue into his mouth.

She continued to lavish him with her kisses as she reached around and started to unbutton his shirt. Luke pulled away from their kiss panting softly. "Rory?"

"She's having a Mrs. Kim approved movie night at Lanes, followed by a sleepover." Lorelai told him.

His voice was deep and sexy as he said, "So we're alone?"

Lorelai nodded and trailed kisses down his jaw-line, as she continued to work at the buttons on his flannel shirt.

Luke groaned as he felt her wet, open mouthed kisses on his neck. She finished unbuttoning his shirt and slid it off his shoulders and down his arms before pulling off his t-shirt and admiring his athletic form.

She ran her hands over his chest, lightly and followed with another trail of erotic kisses. Her warm mouth enveloped his nipple and he moaned in pleasure as he felt her tongue dart out and circle it. She pulled on it gently with her teeth before kissing her way to his other nipple and repeating the process.

Suddenly, Luke flipped them around, pressing Lorelai against the fridge while he held her hands above her head. "My turn," he growled hungrily.

He reached for the hem of her green t-shirt and slowly pulled it over her head, his fingers grazing her ribcage lightly. He threw the shirt on the floor and took hold of her wrists again, admiring her almost naked torso. She looked incredible in her red lacy bra. Luke bent his head and applied kisses to her breasts through the intricate fabric. Lorelai arched her back, as he continued to ravish her.

He nipped his way down her smooth stomach, stopping at the waistline of her jeans. He wondered if her panties matched her bra and his arousal increased at the thought. He released her wrists, and kissed her deeply, as he unclasped her jeans and began to slide them over her hips.

He broke the kiss and held her steady as she kicked them off. She stood before him, clad in only her lacy red bra and panties, and to Luke, it was the most beautiful vision in the world.

He kissed her again, his hands tracing patterns on her spine as he edged her to the kitchen table, stopping when her bottom rested against the tabletop. He reached around, and unclasped her bra, releasing her supple breasts. He captured them in his mouth, one at a time, gently pulling and suckling as she leaned her head back and moaned in pleasure.

He prevented her from reaching out to explore his chest again by batting her hands away. "Later," he explained. "This is all about you."

With that, he helped her lay across the table, retrieving his shirt from the floor, bundling it up and placing it beneath her head like a pillow. He tugged on her nipples with his mouth, his teeth grazing them softly, driving her wild. Lorelai began to lift her hips, trying to press against him.

Luke released her breasts and licked a zigzag pattern across her stomach. When he reached the waistband of her panties, he sat on one of the chairs and gently draped her legs over his shoulders. He started at her knees and kissed his way up each thigh and down the other side several times, each time deliberately ignoring the area between her legs.

Lorelai squirmed, his teasing sending shivers coursing through her body. She could feel his breath, so close to the area she most wanted him to touch, and yet he drove her crazy as he ignored it.

Finally, he shuffled the chair in closer and sat in front of her, his nose just inches away from her dampness. He smelled her sweet aroma and his resolve broke. She gasped as his mouth engulfed her through the lacy fabric. He nuzzled against her cas he lifted the delicate fabric aside and slid a finger inside, pleased to find her wet and ready. He removed his finger and Lorelai cried out in protest. "More."

"Coming," Luke replied, as he caught the top of her panties with his teeth.

"Dirty," Lorelai joked.

Luke chuckled, the deep tone vibrating against her, as he slowly guided her panties down with his mouth. Lorelai gasped at the sensation it sent through her body.

Luke discarded the panties and settled back into the chair, studying the glistening folds before him. Just at the moment when Lorelai thought she was going to go insane if he didn't touch her again, she felt his tongue licking her up and down. He continued to lick her, varying the pressure and occasionally dipping his tongue deep inside. Lorelai grew more aroused with every stroke. She brought her hands to her breasts and squeezed them as Luke continued to suck and lick, driving her wild. She began to buck her hips frantically as he drove her to the edge with his skilful mouth. He buried his tongue deep inside of her as his fingers circled the magic spot. Lorelai bucked more urgently and screamed his name as the wave of pleasure overtook her.

She lay naked and panting on the table as she recovered and Luke lapped up her juices.

When she finally felt capable of moving again, she tried to sit up. Luke offered her his hand and helped her pull herself to her feet. As soon as she was standing, she wove her fingers through his hair. "That was amazing. Where'd you learn to do that?" she whispered against his lips.

Luke smiled and merely said, "Thank you," before he pressed his lips to hers again and kissed her diligently.

She could feel his bulge pressing against her stomach and she felt herself growing wet again. She explored his back with her hands as they continued to kiss.

Lorelai pulled away, needing to touch and explore him, the way he'd explored her. She unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down his legs. She knelt at his feet, removed his shoes and helped him step out of his jeans. When she had completed her task, she looked up and realized that she was eyelevel with his boxers. Luke saw the gleam in her eye as she reached for him, and he quickly caught her wrist to stop her.

"Lorelai," he murmured urgently, "not this time. Right now I want to make love to you."

She stood up, her eyes shining with emotion as she nodded.

She grabbed his arm and led him up the stairs to her bedroom. They stopped at the edge of the bed and kissed tenderly. Luke broke the kiss to scoop her up and lay her gently on the mattress. He crawled up after her and found her lips again. He quickly shed his boxers and began to rub his length between her legs. Lorelai squirmed as he rubbed against her clit. "Now, Luke," she gasped. "I need you."

"I need you too, Lorelai, you have no idea how much." With that, Luke entered her, finding her wet and ready for him. He slid in slowly, letting her adjust to him before beginning to thrust gently. They found a rhythm together and she soon felt the familiar pressure building as he stroked her closer and closer to her tipping point. She felt it coming and tried to hold off, wanting to wait for him, but at that exact moment he pressed his fingers to her clit and she was lost. She screamed his name as she writhed beneath him.

Luke bit his lip as she came, trying desperately to hold off on his own pleasure until he could make her scream for him again.

As her breathing began to normalize again, Luke started to move within her slowly, his fingers lazily circling her clit. Lorelai gasped as she felt the pressure building for the third time that evening. Luke began to thrust faster, his fingers pressing harder against her as they climbed together. She began to scream his name again, and this time Luke allowed himself to let go. Together they plummeted over the edge as a giant wave a pleasure engulfed them.

Luke collapsed against her chest and they lay together, completely spent. When Luke finally felt like he could move again, he rolled onto his side and pulled Lorelai securely against him. He kissed her temple tenderly and then closed his eyes, a broad smile playing against his lips as he slept.

xxxx

"That was a wonderful night, Luke," Lorelai whispered to her husband as she kissed him tenderly.

"For me too," Luke said in a low, suggestive voice.

"That was when I first knew I was madly in love with you," Lorelai confessed.

Luke looked at her in surprise. "Really? But you didn't say anything until months later."

"That's because I was in denial. I thought it was too soon, only our first date. What I didn't consider, was the fact that I'd fallen in love with you long before we ever got together, I was just too afraid to admit it, and so I shoved the feeling aside and ignored it. What a fool I was," she said sadly."The things we learn through hindsight."

Luke laughed softly and gave her a kiss. "I'm glad you stopped being so foolish," he teased.

Lorelai giggled. "Amen to that."

She stood up and gestured to the door. "Luke, I think it's time to go to bed."

Luke detected the familiar heat in her eyes as he stood and took her hand. "Yes, it's definitely time for bed," he agreed.

They crossed the threshold together, hands clasped as they entered the home they had created together, the place where they had raised their 5 children and where they now entertained their multitude of heirs.

They climbed the stairs slowly and when they reached the bed, Luke began to capture her in a deluge of erotic kisses. They quickly stripped and climbed onto the bed where they re-enacted their very first night of love making together.

When they were done, Luke encased Lorelai in his arms and held her to him. "I love you, Lorelai Gilmore," he whispered, kissing her temple, just as he had on that night long ago.

Lorelai smiled. "I love you, Luke Danes."

Then together they drifted off to sleep, each with a broad smile playing across their lips.

_FIN _


End file.
